By Craigh Barboza

“PEOPLE JUST WANT to [throw their doors open
to] celebrate and entertain during the holidays,” says
Costco member Dawn Sandomeno. She ought to
know. Along with partner Elizabeth Mascali, she runs
Party Bluprints Inc., a multi-platform media company that is becoming the go-to source for all aspects
of party planning. More than 25 million consumers
turn to the pair every month, seeking advice on recipes, decorations and signature cocktails.

For many folks, the thought of hosting a holidayparty is as appealing as finding a lump of coal in theirstockings on Christmas morning. But Sandomenoand Mascali say it doesn’t take the skill of a profes-sional to pull it off, or to whip up some Brown BrittleEggnog Cheesecake Bars while you’re at it. “Afterabout 20 years of throwing parties in real life, Dawnand I have it down to a science,” Mascali tells TheConnection. “We put all the ideas and resources at thehosts’ fingertips so they have what they need to buildthe party themselves.”It is not enough, they say, to stage a fantasticparty. You also want to prepare it in such a way thatyou can be there and enjoy it as well, like everyoneelse. “The joke in my husband’s family is they onlyever saw grandma’s back,” Sandomeno says. “She wasat the stove or she was at the sink.”

DO GREET guests with asignature cocktail when theyarrive. And if you’re not hiringa bartender, have a DIY barset up with a pitcher of thesignature cocktail and otherbeverages next to some gar-nishes so guests can helpthemselves at their leisure.DO SET aside time earlierin the day to make sure you’rementally and physically pre-pared for the party. No onewants to have the host openthe door looking like a wreckwith a “what-are-you-doin’-here?” expression.DO DESIGNATE a cleanspace in your home for spon-taneous entertaining. Keep afew staples in your pantry,such as nuts, breadsticks andolives, and and have a coupleof bottles of select wine andliquor stocked in the bar.DON’T FEEL like youhave to do what your parentsdid. Life is completely differ-ent now. You don’t have to doa traditional sit-down dinner.You can have a pancakebreakfast or hot chocolateafter sleigh riding.

DON’T THROW a party
without food—especially if
there are cocktails. First of
all, it’s never good to drink on
an empty stomach. And second, we’re good Italian girls
and we never have guests in
our home without serving
them food!

DON’T FORGET the littlepeople at your party. I alwayshave kid-friendly appetizersand a separate drink stationfor them, away from the alco-hol. Sometimes making chil-dren feel special at theholidays is the most importantthing you can do. After all,your party can form their ideaof what the holidays are andhave a big impact on them.— Elizabeth Mascali,Dawn SandomenoThe Costco Connection

Costco offers table settings, fresh and prepared
foods and snacks items, a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and much more, to
help members prepare the perfect party.

Comment about Costco: “At Party Bluprints,
we love resources that make it easier and more
affordable to entertain at home. We lift our glass to
Costco for being a reliable solution to help hosts
entertain, especially during the holidays—the peak
of the party season.”—Elizabeth Mascali

ALEXANDRAMASCALI

The trick is to keep it simple but make it special.“We don’t want people re-creating a 10-page recipeor painting leaves gold on anything. We cater topeople who lead busy lifestyles,” says Mascali, aCostco member. Sandomeno, who is a mother ofthree, says, “If I cannot throw the party, it doesn’t goon our site.”The idea for Party Bluprints was born in 2006,when Sandomeno and Mascali—after having helpedtheir families plan birthday bashes, anniversaries andother milestones for years—grew frustrated by thepiecemeal nature of online party-planning resources.“We found lots of pretty pictures, but next to nothingon how to re-create a party or where to buy materials,and the recipes were usually hit-or-miss,” saysMascali, whose home doubles as a test kitchen. “Wewanted to give people the whole plan,” addsSandomeno, “an A-to-Z guide to planning a party.”

The New Jersey–based planners share a business
background (Sandomeno was a derivatives risk analyst, Mascali a management consultant) and jumped
at the opportunity to tap into their creative sides with
Party Bluprints. The website (
partybluprints.com)
quickly led to a blog, and then a book, Plan to Party
(Yorkshire Publishing, 2010; not available at Costco).
“The book established us as experts in our space and
opened new doors,” says Mascali.

Companies such as Disney, Kraft, E.&J. Gallo
Winery and Corningware reached out to form partnerships, and earlier this year the Spanish-language
website Mamá y Familia (
mamayfamilia.com) began
translating their entertaining and lifestyle content.

While they want to continue to expand, the planners say it’s important that they maintain a personal
connection with their audience, whom Sandomeno
often chats with via social media. (In 2011, Party
Bluprints was ranked No. 2 on the list of Top 10
Home Entertaining Bloggers on Twitter, behind
Martha Stewart.) The thing to remember, they say, is
to entertain from the heart. Whether you’re planning
a Napa-style home wine tasting or their popular
“Night in Venice” holiday party, it’s all about the
guests. Says Sandomeno, “There’s nothing you can do
that’s going to be better than the people there.” C